Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-17
CuRIsTnAs MUSINGS.
new YOu1g Ladies' and Gentlemsn
MAKE eheir Holiday Preparation.

CHRIsT,iAs MUSINGS.
Rov Young Ladies' and Gentlemsm
make their Holiday Preparations.
sYnpxrur rxcfFap ~ YOUNG MEN saorYHRs-YouNo
LAnn VINO STITCH SENTIMENTAL THOUGHTS INTO
rHnrR YANcY woRK-HYNBNAL UATIsrIcs-pscA-
pnRcH II 1IHpspU ACCOMPLISHMENT
Chnstmas musings are very seasonable just now.
That n what young man may be said to be doing
vhsa - II trying TO think Of some suitable Christ
mas ps1sent for young lady. When II is only "a
youne lady" the musings are apt 70 be neither long
nor profound As soon, however, as the indef-
mite character OF the article changes 70 the def
nits then prolonged mental explorations and
researches may confidently be expected There
are long and weary wanderings through
stores There are doubts and misgvingS
and finally a mortgage on the salary
for tho next SIX months But there Is nothing
young man who Is In search OF Christmas presents
for his young lady friends He sails INFO the
stores with victory psrched upon MS os3~ anu INT
successful. He hesitates at nothing and knows no
limitations. except the amount OF cash on hand
There may be variety OF kinds Oh young men
but there Is
ONLY ONE KIND
when Christmas comes around who Is able 10
maintain his social standing. shopkeepers all
know them, and Christmas shoppers can easily
point them out There Is the glow Of the Christ
mas cheer In their eyes and the hustle Of Christ
MAS shopping In their step, that is unmistakaole
But when II happens that the young man doesn't
know what he wants no one minds, not even tne
10 determine what sbe-that is 10 say what he
nksA People may stumble against INST MIN n1ore IN
s SSs crowded psIss sSsay case his
Guilty is Appreciated. Even the foot-sore
father who has been diminishing around for sew
eral hours 10 get something for each OF his eight
children feels sympathy for the young man. He
remembers the time perhaps, when ne WAS tnss
way himself wa ishIv IN ss,1ad rs suspi.
eious character and hustled out OF the store. Ihe
Christmas kindliness and good nature make peo-
young men do not get into trouble, ana what Is
better fewer young ladies are disappointed Oh
Christmas morning.
YOUNG LADIES' rHouGHrs.
The young ladies, by the way, have their Christ
mas preparations to make. They also have some
thing 20 do, some one TO remember. IL may DC
one person or 1t may be more. But at any rate, IL
IL safe 10 say that every young lady mas some one
70 thinx so1Ss i1 ,r nm HnS msn sns renscts
last Christmas, and she signs as she thinks tnat
they not as good friends now as they were last
Christmas. she does not attribute that 10 the
handkerchief holder for it was made with an ele-
giant piece OF blue silk that was a piece OF her
sssters old dress and there were roses anu vines
the center was a monogram worked. SO oeautliuiiy
that friend who was visiting her asked her about
she had better select something that Is not quite
so artistic she puts IT, and Is divided In her mind
between doing tobacco pouch or lawn semn,9
can't make up their minds 50 readily, because
there IS such a verety Of things for selection
There the Scarfs, the pn-cushionS, the sacnet-
bags the embroidered handkerchiefs, handkerchief
caSes, and many other things that men are known
10 be fond Of Then there are the painted things
in number untold, In designs beyond the power OF
computation. Ali these things men like 10 nave
about their rooms for the chambermaid 10 admire
A young lady may conclude 10 emDroider or TO
paint out IN either ease she is obliged 70 go out
shopping for the materials Hence IL Is that the
young woman doing her Christmas shopping Is not
20 wild-eyed as the average young man. she
knows exactly what she wants, the shop girls
know from former experiences that she VIII get
what she wants. and SO her pathway Is smootned
and she gathers together her materials as rapidly
As any woman can who goes shopping. she IS
then ready for the serious work OF the Christ
Win p he outlined dA' or solid Work PERHAPS
arrasens Is to be used instead OF silk But ia
either event the task Is one that requires patience
and quick hand AS the white fingers move
backward and forws ard over the silk Or felt there
are q great many Iancles caught In the meshes OF
the thread and woven In with the design.
are woven In with the work, and, when the gift Is
done, II Is much more than piece OF fancy work
FANCY WORK srATIsTIcs
The amount Of silk thread that Is worked In and
on clotn and other material during the few weeks
before Christmas must be very great. A statis-
tcian, II he amounted TO anything at all. could
eaziry obtain the data for estimating how many
times the silk used by young ladies IN this city, for
the world, and how many times higher than the
Washington Monument the empty spoOls would
s%cGnt psu Gan k used dp' eouid be divided Ss
TIE number OF girls in the city, showing
the amount consumed by each girl II the Stats
tician Appreciated the importance of the subject
ne would estimate the amount OF silk used for
these presents. the percentage to each young man,
and then taking the number OF marriages OF people
l. a or
amount Of silk thread 20 each marriage. In this
way the young ladies' next year would know just
exactly how much silk thread TO purchase In
making Christmas present, and they would
therefore, not be disturbed by any fear OF waste
Of money. For hereafter they VIII know that so
much thread usedwlA secure a husband, and young
ladies y no have such purpose In view can regu-
late their Christmas shopping accordingly Young
linen viii then be rated as so much silk thread or
srrasene and fancy work will have a greater I'm
Portancs In the eyes Of a generation who are In
ellned to sneer al these delicate and beautifully
wrought evidences Of womenS skill and taste.
IL such q change takes place II Will be none TO
sOOn, for there are signs OF growing decadence in
this feminine accomplishment. Some young ladies'
Influenced by the SCOTS OF the unappreciative
have abandoned this pastime. II has even gone so
lar that sisters have Instructed their brothers. and
WORK In all its branches When they wish any
thing Of this description, either for the adornment
OF the paror or for present 70 friend instead Of
using their spare time TO make IL, they simply
give an order TO the masculine member Of the
family, and straightway the fancy work Is begun.
As IL Is not the FASHION yet Tor gentienen 10 take
such work with them 70 the club, there Is, DO
doubt, Just now o noticeable falling on In the
tendance at these masculine resorts But when
Christmas l. past and gone and all the fancy work
orders rIled, the workers win be seen again in
their accustomed hauDtA
The American Girl.
The American girl is thus pictured by John Hab-
berton Ia a new novel: "She was the oldest child
so she had aer own way; she was pretty, 20 she
had always been petted; she was twenty, so she
knew everything that she thought worth know
ing. she had long before reconstructed the world
On her own mind just as IL should be, from the
standpo ut that IL ought TO exist solely for her
benefit Not bad-tempered, on the contrary cheer
null anu full OF nigh spirits, she was, nevertheless
In perpetual protest against everything that was
not exactly as she would have IL, and not all the
manners that careful breeding could impart could
restrain the unconscious Incidence peculiar 70
young and salt satisfied natures